Price rises for sheriff's office, but need exists

Wednesday

Oct 30, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Overcrowding is driving some issues confronting the Davidson County Board of Commissioners. The board has approved an agreement with the Davidson County Board of Education to begin grading work for a new high school in northern Davidson County, which carries a $45 million price tag. The high school is needed to relieve congestion at North Davidson and Ledford high schools. The overall funding mechanism remains in question, although a quarter-cent sales tax increase is being considered.

Overcrowding is driving some issues confronting the Davidson County Board of Commissioners. The board has approved an agreement with the Davidson County Board of Education to begin grading work for a new high school in northern Davidson County, which carries a $45 million price tag. The high school is needed to relieve congestion at North Davidson and Ledford high schools. The overall funding mechanism remains in question, although a quarter-cent sales tax increase is being considered.Commissioners have also committed to construction of a new sheriff's office where Lank of Lexington used to sit on U.S. Highway 64 East. A county space needs study in 2009 indicated the sheriff's office needs an additional 30,000 square feet of usable space. The new building will feature 45,000 square feet and allow the sheriff's office to consolidate its offices and move out of the Davidson County Courthouse and other locations. But the price tag has doubled from an original $4 million estimate to $8 million.The board works hard to maintain the county's 54 cents per $100 property tax rate, and department heads appearing at meetings know that spending will be carefully scrutinized. Yet commissioners didn't seem to blink an eye at the newest cost estimate for the sheriff's office.Perhaps one reason concerns the amount of time that has already been put into the planning for the sheriff's office. Three commissioners with contracting experience — Steve Jarvis, Larry Potts and Todd Yates — spent 26 hours looking at design-build team candidates for the work. That approach is supposed to save money. And the initial cost estimate also came from a different architect as opposed to the one picked to build the facility, and it could fall.Sam Watford also has a contracting background, meaning a majority of commissioners are associated with the field. That experience plus the conservative nature of the board should mean that county residents will receive a functional building that's not excessively extravagant but also cost efficient. It's also important to address not only the present space needs but future ones, too. Commissioners don't want to be penny wise and pound foolish, saving money now by cutting back only to face needs for more space in the future.The space needs study and Sheriff David Grice make a compelling case that a new building is needed. The structure could last for a hundred years, as Jarvis noted, so taking the time to get it right at the outset is critical. The sheriff's office will certainly gain operational efficiencies by centralizing its services. While $8 million is a lot of money, that's more than a fifth less than the new high school will cost. But commissioners should continue scrutinizing the cost to make sure it's built for the least possible cost.